Tag: Luis Saez

Busy Saturday Beneath the Twin Spires

With just two weeks remaining to the running of the GI Kentucky Derby, the Saturday worktab at Churchill Downs was dotted with the names of top sophomores headed towards the first jewel of racing's Triple Crown.

Godolphin's reigning Eclipse Award-winning juvenile colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit) took to the Churchill main track at 5:15 a.m. with big-race rider Luis Saez in from Keeneland to put the colt through his paces. The homebred went five furlongs in :59.60 after breaking off about a length behind 4-year-old stablemate Spa City (Street Sense) and was timed in fractions of :12.80, :24.60 and :47.40 before galloping out three-quarters of a mile in 1:13.20 and seven furlongs in 1:28.60. Essential Quality never passed his workmate around the turn and into the backstretch.

It was the first serious piece of work for Essential Quality since his tough defeat of Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 3. Trainer Brad Cox was duly pleased with what he saw Saturday morning.

“I'm not taking a deep breath yet, but we're very pleased with where we are at today,” the conditioner said. “He really had to work for that win in the Blue Grass and we were very pleased how well he ended up bouncing out of it.”


Highly Motivated, whose official status for the Derby remains 'possible,' is scheduled to breeze Sunday morning at Keeneland for trainer Chad Brown and is expected on the Churchill backside Monday.

Following the champ's workout, Cox sent out GII Risen Star S. hero and fellow 'Rising Star' Mandaloun (Into Mischief) to breeze six furlongs in a crisp 1:11.40. The Juddmonte homebred tugged hard against jockey Florent Geroux and was difficult to settle through early sectional times of :12.40, :24.20 and :35.60. He was noticeably more relaxed once given his head at the quarter pole and worked strongly through the line before clocking seven furlongs in 1:25.20 and a mile in 1:41.60.

Mandaloun exits a disappointing sixth behind Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) and Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) in the GII Louisiana Derby Mar. 20, but Cox is more and more inclined to draw a line through the effort.

“[Mandaloun] worked great,” he said. “We were all puzzled after the Louisiana Derby, but he's been doing great since that race–maybe that was just a head-scratcher. He's a really good-looking son of Into Mischief, and we know he's better than what we saw in his last start.”

Live Oak Plantation's Soup and Sandwich (Into Mischief), who earned his way into the Run for the Roses via his runner-up effort to Known Agenda (Curlin) in the GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Mar. 27, went five-eighths of a mile in :59.80 Saturday morning. With Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle, the homebred skipped along in :12.40, :24.20 and :35.20, then readily drew clear of his company Epic Dreamer (Orb) and was out six furlongs in a strong 1:12.40 and seven panels in 1:25.20.

“This horse is just starting to figure things around the racetrack,” trainer Mark Casse's assistant David Carroll said. “Tyler was in cruise control around there and that gallop out was great.”

Also Saturday morning, 'TDN Rising Star' Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) looked sharp going five furlongs in a bullet :59 (:12.40, :24, :35.40, :47, out 1:12.40) for trainer Ken McPeek; and GIII Fantasy S. runner-up Ava's Grace (Laoban) went a half-mile in :48.60 for Robertino Diodoro for the Apr. 30 GI Kentucky Oaks.

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Rosario, Saez Feasting On Stakes Diet At Keeneland

On Saturday's second day of the Keeneland Spring Meet in Lexington, Ky., jockeys Joel Rosario and Luis Saez combined to win nine races on the 11-race program and continue their domination of the young season. The two riders accounted for all nine stakes.

After two days of the Spring Meet, Rosario leads jockeys with seven wins, and Saez is second with six victories.

Rosario rode five winners Saturday, including four consecutive stakes: the Commonwealth (G3) on Flagstaff, Shakertown (G2) on Bound for Nowhere, Central Bank Ashland (G1) on Malathaat and Madison (G1) on Kimari. On Friday, he captured two stakes: the Palisades Turf Sprint with Chasing Artie and the Kentucky Utilities Transylvania (G3) on Scarlett Sky.

“Thank you to everyone: Wesley Ward, Todd Pletcher, everyone else who gave me an opportunity,” said Rosario about his performance Saturday in which he rode in nine races. “It was an amazing day. I thought I had some chances to win but you never know, so it's just great to have the opportunities and be able to win.”

Rosario joins Jerry Bailey (1999) and Javier Castellano (2016) as riders with a record six stakes victories during a Spring Meet. If he wins one of the 10 stakes remaining this season, Rosario will take sole possession of the Spring Meet record.

During the 2013 Spring Meet when he won a season record 38 races, Rosario also had two five-win days. He shares the five-win mark in the Spring Meet with five other jockeys.

The Spring Meet record for wins on one day is six, an achievement for three jockeys: Craig Perret (1990), Randy Romero (1990) and Julien Leparoux (2012).

On Friday, Saez rode Twenty Carat to win the Beaumont (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select. On Saturday, he won four races topped by the Toyota Blue Grass (G2) on Essential Quality and the Appalachian (G2) Presented by Japan Racing Association on Jouster.

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Essential Quality Edges Highly Motivated In A Blue Grass Thriller

Champion Essential Quality had to dig deep to maintain his unblemished record, but the Godolphin homebred colt by Tapit did just that at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, wearing down the front-running Highly Motivated in the final yards to win the Grade 2, $800,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes by a neck as the 1-2 favorite.

Ridden by Luis Saez for trainer Brad Cox, Essential Quality ran the 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:48.50 and paid $3 to his backers for his fifth career victory in as many starts.

Highly Motivated, an Into Mischief colt trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Javier Castellano, fell just short on a track where he scored his only previous stakes victory in the Nyquist Stakes on the Breeders' Cup undercard last Nov. 6, the same day Essential Quality locked up his Eclipse Awrad as champion 2-year-old male with a victory in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Highly Motivated was sent off as the 7-2 second choice in the betting.

It was 5 1/2 lengths back to the third-place finisher, Rombauer, a California invader from Michael McCarthy's barn who was 24-1. Hidden Stash, the G2 Tampa Bay Derby runner-up, finished fourth at 18-1. He was followed across the finish by Keepmeinmind, third behind Essential Quality in the Breeders' Cup. Sittin On Go, Hush of a Stormn, Unbreated and Leblon completed the order of finish in the field of nine.

The top four finishers in the Blue Grass received 100-40-20-10 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, to be run on May 1 at Churchill Downs. No horse has exited the Blue Grass to win the Kentucky Derby since Blue Grass runner-up Street Sense won the roses in 2007. The last Blue Grass winner to win the Kentucky Derby was Strike the Gold in 1991. Essential Quality's connections obviously hope that streak will end in four weeks' time.

Updated Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

The Blue Grass set up as a virtual match race between the the two favorites, who had each run once this year: Essential Quality won the G3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn on Feb. 27 and Highly Motivated finished a troubled third in the G3 Gotham around one turn at Aqueduct on March 6.

Highly Motivated secured the early lead and Essential Quality raced just to his outside throughout. Highly Motivated carved out fractions of :23.83, :48.21 and 1:12.08 for the first six furlongs, when Saez turned up the heat and moved Essential Quality closer to the lead. The top pair was well clear of Rombauer when they straightened away into the stretch.

Highly Motivated wasn't finished, however, clinging to a half-length advantage at the furlong pole after a mile in 1:35.97. But Saez kept asking Essential Quality for more, and the gray colt kept to his task, putting his nose in front in the final sixteenth.

Post-race quotes:

Brad Cox (winning trainer of Essential Quality)

“It's a tremendous feeling. He had to dig in today. It was probably what he needed. It was good for him to get a good test today He did everything easy enough in his last race. I was proud of what he was able to overcome today. Big effort.”

“I was happy where we were (turning for home). I could tell (with) the horse on the inside (Highly Motivated), Javier (Castellano) had horse, and we really had to work to get by him. The horse on the inside (Highly Motivated) ran a huge race. Both of them really duked it out the whole way. It set up for both of them, and they both responded well. That was a good race four weeks out (before the Kentucky Derby-G1). Four weeks from today. Hopefully we're ready.”

Luis Saez (winning rider)

“That other horse was fighting, and I thought we weren't going to get him. But I always had faith in Essential Quality. He's a nice horse No matter how fast or slow the pace, he always wants to be first at the wire.”

Javier Castellano (rider of runner-up Highly Motivated)

“He ran a huge race. I'm very satisfied the way he did it today. I got beat, finished second, but I'm so proud of my horse and the way he did it today. Easy fractions on the lead, he galloped along – that's the first time he did two turns. We tested him a little bit to see how far he could go and he did it. He tried with one of the best horses in the country and I give all the credit to the winner. But I would never complain with my horse and the way he did it.”

Whit Beckman (assistant to Chad Brown, trainer of Highly Motivated)

“That was just a tremendous run he put in. He ran so well and you could tell he just did not want to get beat. When one is trying that hard and you could feel the disappointment. I wasn't confident being on the front end in a big race like this. But Javier got there and my confidence was with Javi and his decisions.”

Florent Geroux (rider of third-place finisher Rombauer)

“I am very happy with his effort today. The two horses in front of him are very nice and we ran a very good effort.”

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Essential Quality Guts It Out in the Blue Grass

Godolphin homebred Essential Quality (Tapit) gave his connections a few anxious moments in the stretch, but, in the end, he proved why he is a champion with a gutsy score in Keeneland's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. Saturday evening.

Hustling up to contest the early pace, the 1-2 favorite allowed Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) to take control, settling on his outside hip through a :23.83 first quarter and :48.21 half-mile. The top two continued to duke it out as three-quarters went in 1:12.08 with the rest of the field watching from a few lengths back. Essential Quality glided up alongside his foe, looking him in the eye as they entered the far turn. Highly Motivated regained a narrow lead at the top of the stretch, but Essential Quality stuck right with him. Both colts proved all class as they battled down the lane, each refusing to yield as they pulled away from their competition. But, in the end, the relentless Essential Quality muscled past his determined foe to win by a neck. It was 5 1/2 lengths back to Rombauer (Twirling Candy) in third.

“It's a tremendous feeling,” said winning trainer Brad Cox. “He had to dig in today. It was probably what he needed. It was good for him to get a good test today. He did everything easy enough in his last race. I was proud of what he was able to overcome today. Big effort.”

He continued, “I was happy where we were [turning for home]. I could tell the horse on the inside [Highly Motivated], Javier [Castellano] had horse, and we really had to work to get by him. [Highly Motivated] ran a huge race. Both of them really duked it out the whole way. It set up for both of them, and they both responded well. That was a good race four weeks out [from the GI Kentucky Derby]. Four weeks from today. Hopefully we're ready.”

“That other horse was fighting, and I thought we weren't going to get him,” said winning rider Luis Saez. “But I always had faith in Essential Quality. He's a nice horse. No matter how fast or slow the pace, he always wants to be first at the wire.”

Tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' off an impressive four-length score in his six-panel career bow at Churchill Downs Sept. 5, Essential Quality scored a decisive victory when extended to two turns in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. Oct. 3. He rallied from off the pace to capture the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile in Lexington Nov. 6, clinching the Eclipse award for top 2-year-old male. Making his seasonal bow in a sloppy renewal of Oaklawn's GIII Southwest S. Feb. 27, the homebred proved he was only getting better as he matured, charging home a 4 1/4-length winner.

Pedigree Notes:

Essential Quality is one of 27 Grade I winners for Gainesway kingpin Tapit, and is one of 142 black-type winners overall (88 graded) for the leading sire. The Eclipse winner joins Frosted as a three-time Grade I winner for their sire, sitting only behind Tonalist, Tapit's most accomplished Grade I-winning son with four victories at the highest level. The late Darley sire Elusive Quality's daughters have been churning out stakes winners for some time, with Essential Quality being one of their 126 black-type winners (54 graded). Third in the GIII Bed o' Roses H., Delightful Quality is a half-sister to champion juvenile filly Folklore (Tiznow), a winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, as well as stakes winner and GIII Tempted S. runner-up Divided Attention (A.P. Indy). She has a 2-year-old filly by Uncle Mo; was barren to that sire for 2020; and was covered by the Coolmore stallion's GI Kentucky Derby-winning son Nyquist last spring. Folklore is the granddam of 2020 Japanese Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who returns in the G1 Osaka Hai Sunday.

Saturday, Keeneland
TOYOTA BLUE GRASS S.-GII, $800,000, Keeneland, 4-3, 3yo,
1 1/8m, 1:48.50, ft.
1–ESSENTIAL QUALITY, 123, c, 3, by Tapit
                1st Dam: Delightful Quality (GSP, $253,900),
                                by Elusive Quality
                2nd Dam: Contrive, by Storm Cat
                3rd Dam: Jeano, by Fappiano
'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Godolphin, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox;
J-Luis Saez. $480,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt-US,
5-5-0-0, $2,265,144. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Highly Motivated, 123, c, 3, Into Mischief–Strong Incentive,
by Warrior's Reward. ($240,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV). O-Klaravich
Stables, Inc.; B-Klaravich Stables (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.
$160,000.
3–Rombauer, 123, c, 3, Twirling Candy–Cashmere, by Cowboy
Cal. O-Fradkin, John and Fradkin, Diane; B-John Fradkin &
Diane Fradkin (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $80,000.
Margins: NK, 5HF, 4 1/4. Odds: 0.50, 3.60, 24.00.
Also Ran: Hidden Stash, Keepmeinmind, Sittin On Go, Hush of a Storm, Untreated, Leblon.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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